It's Up To You

It's Up To You - Keith Birmingham
140bpm @4/4

You can blame someone,
When your day goes bad.
You can blame someone,
For the life you’ve had.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.

Life can pick you up,
Higher than the stars
Or, kick you even
When you are down.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.

You can be a star
On a New York stage,
Or a bum sleepin’
on the street.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.

Life can pick you up
Higher than the stars
Or, kick you even
When you are down.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.

You can be a rock star
Living out in L.A.
Or a governor
In the state of Maine.
But, all in all, it’s up to you.
So stand up, and see it through.

Life can pick you up
Higher than the stars
Or, kick you even
When you are down.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.
So stand up, and see it through.

It's Up To You

It's Up To You - Keith Birmingham
140bpm @4/4

You can blame someone,
When your day goes bad.
You can blame someone,
For the life you’ve had.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.

Life can pick you up,
Higher than the stars
Or, kick you even
When you are down.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.

You can be a star
On a New York stage,
Or a bum sleepin’
on the street.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.

Life can pick you up
Higher than the stars
Or, kick you even
When you are down.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.

You can be a rock star
Living out in L.A.
Or a governor
In the state of Maine.
But, all in all, it’s up to you.
So stand up, and see it through.

Life can pick you up
Higher than the stars
Or, kick you even
When you are down.
But, all in all, it’s up to you
So stand up, and see it through.
So stand up, and see it through.

Travel Photography - What Camera Gear Should I Take?

By John Kilmerstone

Probably the most popular type of photography today is travel photography and millions of people take photos during their holidays around the world, in the most beautiful travel destinations. But not every tourist with a camera can be truthfully called a photographer and not all images captured during our travels can truly be called photographs.

Nevertheless, many people that like to travel have also become photographers along the years, either as a secondary hobby, or just to keep beautiful memories from the places they visited. The majority of people though, still do not know the difference between a picture and a photograph.

If you are planning a trip and need to know a few basic tips and advice about what to take in your baggage in terms of camera gear, below you might find some valuable information in that matter. Travel photography is all about the ability to take good photos on the go.

While traveling, you need to be prepared all the time to seize the perfect moment, you need to be able to get around fast and easy and that means reducing the size and weight of your equipment to the minimum.

Unless you are serious photographer, traveling to a destination on an assignment, you should try to take with you just the strictly necessary camera gear. You cannot enjoy a trip carrying a huge backpack with several camera bodies, half a dozen lenses, tripods and so on.

Camera body - If you have a compact or bridge camera, then just take that with you, but if you are serious about photography, you should own one or more DSLR camera bodies. Just take one of them, the most versatile and lightweight you have, the one that you love the most and offers good results in all situations.

Almost all camera manufacturers have a huge lineup of models available, some of them better suited for travel photography. Depending on your personal preferences, try to also consider the size and weight of the equipment.

Lenses - In terms of lenses, things are not as simple as it might seem. There is a huge variety of models that vary in terms of several characteristics. The basic recommendations would be to just take one or maximum two lenses in your travels.

Either choose an all around lens with excellent quality, or a wide lens and a short telephoto lens in order to cover all your angles. Also, try to take good quality lenses, that give good results in most lighting conditions and also consider the weight of these lenses.

Accessories - Although hard to believe, most people forget these accessories when packing for a trip. They usually pack their cameras and forget the charger or the memory cards. You might not be able to find the right accessories at your destination, so try to make a list with the basic accessories you will need. First of all, pack your charger and spare batteries, as many as you can.

Also, take more than enough memory cards with you. These are extremely small and light and also easy to carry. If you think you need a tripod and you have the space for it, try to find a smaller one. Lastly, try to pack some cleaning kit for your camera, as while you travel, the equipment will surely get pretty dirty.

Discover the Wonders of the World through Travel Photography.

Download John Kilmerstones's Beautiful Photos at www.ExtremeTravelPhotography.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Kilmerstone

I Was Young by Keith Birmingham

I Was Young
Copyright: 04/20/2011, Keith Birmingham
                                
Life was good when the weather was fair and the sun was shining.
The women danced through my mind like the songs that I was singing.
The booze it flowed like a river and I never knew that I was sinking.
But, I was young. And, I was dumb.

With dark gray clouds rolling in I began my search for shelter.
And, I found warmth in the arms of a woman I thought would care.
But, the love she had was the love of my misfortune.
And, I was young. And, I was dumb.

So, I moved on in my search for the love that I was after.
Elusive dreams that I had would haunt me everyday.
I count the cost of the friends and the family I have squandered.
And, I was young. And, I was dumb.
And, I was young. And, I was dumb.

Now those dreams have faded to a life in the here-after.
But, I have found the love that I have searched for anyway.
And, it really doesn't matter how the world thinks that I got here.
'Cause I was young. And, I was dumb.
I was young. And, I was dumb.

Songwriting - Poem or Story

**********

Many times I have sat down to write a story, and spent most of my time trying to find words that would rhyme. I now have songs on file that were written 2 years ago that, although they are fun to play and sing, actually make no sense. But, I also have a few on file that are much like the last couple of songs I have written. Theses songs were written to tell a story, or to make a statement, for the tempo of the tunes I had in my head. To me, if these songs rhyme it is because the words were right for the tempo of the songs. The following song tells a clear story of what has happened. And, it is definitely clear that someone needs to get out of town, fast.

Well, maybe I like this song simply because it is a new one, but I think I like it because of the story.
*******************************


Slightly Battered and Abused
Copyright 2013, by Keith Birmingham

Slightly battered and abused,
And, today he's feeling used.
He'll be rollin' into town sometime tonight.
His old lady's done him wrong,
Stayin' out 'til after dawn.
And, tonight somebody's gonna pay the price.

There's a gun under his shirt.
There's more bullets in the dash.
Blood is in his eyes, he's ready for a fight.
You'd better get it through your head,
Or, your gonna wind up dead,
Gas you're truck up and get rollin’ down the road.

Well, he knows that your to blame
And, it’s driving him insane.
And, he’s coming here to put an end to you.

Well, she should not have done him wrong,
He has loved her for so long,
Doing all that he could do to treat her right.
Well, she had her little fling,
But buddy, you don't mean a thing.    
And, tonight he aims to end your carefree life.

Well, he knows that you're to blame
And, it’s driving him insane.
And, he’s coming here to put an end to you.

Don't  you be a foolish man,
For a carefree one night stand.
Well, you'd better hit the road, don't hesitate.
You'd better get your butt in gear
Long before the sky turns black.
It's time to hit the road. You'd better not come back.
It's time to hit the road. You'd better not come back.

The Story of Us

Gorilla Snot

**********

The Story of Us
Copyright, 2013 by Keith Birmingham

Time is like a bottle that is flowing down a stream
Never turning back to look, never stopping in between.
The place where it first started, and the place where it will end
Is like the story of a woman, and the story of a man.
The stream becomes a river, and sometimes the ride gets rough.
But, the glass that makes the bottle, sometimes is tough enough.
And, the ride becomes a journey, and the journey stops for nothing on it’s way.

A cloud  up in the sky goes drifting slowly by
But, you never stop to think about the rain.
You never watch it as it turns from white to smoky black
And, you never know a storm is on it’s way.
You just roll on down the road like the water in a stream,
But, you never see the danger in your path.
And, the cloud becomes a storm,  and the storm will soon control your destiny.


Well, the story of a life can be told in black an white
You may never know the story is of you.
But, decisions that you make, forms the path your life will takes
And,  they all become the story about you..
Gently floating down a stream, or rolling down a dusty road,
Life is like a game of cards you hope to win.
But, the devil’s in the game, and you know he’s in the game ‘cause he can win.
Yes, the devil’s in the game, and you know he’s in the game ‘cause he can win.

Music Industry, and the Hunger for Success

By Mario Hessing

Producing music.

Producing music is a fun thing to do, according to research over 80% of the world's population has thought about learning how to play an instrument at some point in their live. Not only is it enjoyable to make, it is also the glamour and glitter that attracts us as people. Who doesn't want to be a superstar, become a multi-millionaire and buy 17 houses? Unfortunately only a fairly small percentage of the people pursuing this dream will actually make it that far in the music business. That being said, it's stopping no one from trying and it shouldn't! It's like a lottery and SOMEONE has to win it right? Plus if you got good ideas or make a piece of music that really "rocks" you might beat the majority of he competition and have a better chance of hitting that jackpot than all those others.

It's embedded in our DNA, strive for the best, believe in yourself, etc etc.

But what if it all fails?

Then at least you had fun doing it, that's the beauty of it. Making music is just very enjoyable to do, music is emotion, it's stress relieving and will help you get your mind of off anything. It's not for nothing shrinks use music to aid in their treatments, music can calm you down, pump you up, let you experience feelings of joy, happiness, love, compassion, sorrow etc etc.

Win win situation:

At the department of music-creators there are no losers, like i said, you either enjoy doing it or enjoy doing it and hit an additional jackpot.

If you are thinking about joining this group of hobbyists i would certainly advise you to go ahead and do it,... it's for you that i created this article!

To give you an idea of the stuff you need to create ( professional ) music with i'll make a brief summary,

- A computer

- An audio-interface

- Monitor / DJ speakers

- Instrument of choice and a midi-keyboard for general purposes

As you can see, a fairly small list. Let's discuss the PC first,

Desktop or laptop?

Virtually all home studio music producers are working with computers as their recording-device, Basically it's done with a piece of software (one single program) called a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). In order to run a DAW on your computer it needs to be stable and fast, as a minimum i would suggest 2.4 Mhz pentium-4 or higher, 512 Megabyte ram memory and 20 Gigabyte free space on your hard-drive. Most computers made nowadays are more than capable for use in a home studio set-up. In fact it can easily be done with a laptop too.

Audio-interface:

An audio-interface is a device that let's you plug-in your instrument(s) and / or any other equipment into your computer. Kinda like a bigger version of the sound-cards that are build into computers. The amount of ins and outs depend on the type of audio-interface you choose of course, from 2 ins / 2 outs to 40 ins and 40 outs. Usually 6 ins and 2 or 4 outs are sufficient for home producers.

Monitor / Dj speakers:

Monitor speakers are speakers designed to give a clear and honest response. No frequencies will be altered by these speakers, in contrary to average hi-fi speakers which often boost low frequencies for a deep(er) bass sound. Monitor or DJ speakers as they are called sometimes are an important part of a good set-up that often get's neglected by musicians.

Instrument of choice:

This is personal of course

Midi-keyboard:

In addition to your personal instrument you might need a midi-keyboard. A midi-keyboard can function as a multi-instrument, it triggers midi-notes inside your DAW which in turn trigger notes of a chosen instrument inside your DAW. This way you can control and play any sound in your pc.

Whether you want to do this for a hobby, in a band or professionally, Those are the pieces of equipment your gonna need for a basic set-up.

How to place the set-up.

Positioning the equipment is important. To make good judgements when mixing down you should place one speaker to your left and one speaker to your right both with the high-tone speakers ( tweeters ) on ear-height. Position your computer screen in between them so you can edit your music productions on screen while you are sitting in the so called "sweet spot".

This way you are able to make the best judgements regarding balance (panning), volume and frequencies.

If you really want to do it professionally,... Place the set-up in a room with soft carpet on the floor and / or walls to avoid hollowness and high frequencies reflecting from hard surfaces.

Mario Hessing is a producer @ M.E.D.S. studio's and has been producing and mixing music since the late 1980's For more information on producing music for the music industry, visit his website, www.howtocreate-music.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mario_Hessing

Learn. Learn. Learn. Practice. Practice. Practice.

Learn. Learn. Learn. Practice. Practice. Practice. And, of My God, more Practice. 

I have been learning and practicing for two new professions for 2 years and counting now. In August of 2010 I bought a Fender CD-140 acoustic/electric guitar because I wanted something to do that would keep me from becoming bored in my retirement years. I had retired from a 35 year profession as an over-the-road trucker on November 8, 2010, and was yearning to rejoin my brothers and sisters on the open road. Even today I struggle with the same yearning when my sanity is at it’s weakest. Buying a guitar was supposed to take the yearning to wonder out of my soul. It has not done that, but it has helped to keep me from doing it as a trucker. Now, I want to wonder across the entire planet with my guitar, my songs, and with my camera to explore the world, and to learn.

No, music is not my only passion. Like 2 wives hanging around on the same street corner, both my guitar and my camera  scream at me every morning until I get out of bed and start my day. Yes, somewhere in the early months of 2011 I made the fatal mistake of adding a second lover to my life. I bought a camera, and some special gear to go with her. And, outside of my family life there are now two passions that tempt my soul with every breath I take.

In reality, these are not new passions. I started affairs with each of them way back into my early years. At the age of 14 I bought my first guitar. And, while a young man in the navy I started to learn to love photography. But, today, time seems to be my biggest enemy. Time is what I struggle with every day. There is never enough time. No matter how hard or how fast I work there is always more for me to do even as I climb into bed. But, the ailments that forced me into retirement are the same ailments that now force me to go to bed when I have put my body through all that I put it through each day.

These days I am asking myself, “Have I screwed up again? Am I doing something that I should not be doing? Or, am I just temporarily burnt out because I am working too hard at my two passions?” But, at some point during the day I will sit down for just a few moments. It is sort of like taking a lunch break in the middle of the day. After I eat a small lunch I sit back with a glass of soda, or a glass of beer, and I look at how far I have come over the past 3 years of a retirement that was forced onto me because I had pushed my body further than it was willing to go. 

Today my health is better than it has been in at least 25 years. Why? Because I eat better. I made not be eating like I really should, but I am not eating the crap that I was forced to eat because of time constraints as a trucker. Yes, these days I mostly eat food that is fit for human consumption. And, although I have only lost half of the weight I need to loose, my body doesn’t feel like I am carrying two people within it. Right now, my photography is suffering from a lack of proper stimulation, but I am working to correct that problem, and I will be giving more time to photography in the near future. My music is where the most enjoyable improvement in life has come from. I look at all that I have learned with my music, and I know that I have done good with what I had to work with. And, although I am far from being as good as I want to be it is daily that I feel that I am accomplishing goals that I put into motion many years ago as simple dreams.

And, by the end of my lunch break, and sometimes after a bit of a mid-day nap, I return to work knowing that I have not screwed up, that I am doing exactly what I should be doing at this time in my life, and I am not burnt out on my music or my photography. I now know that even if I never play another song, or click the shutter again, I am doing what I was always meant to do with my life. I am enjoying my life. And, I realize that I should have, and could have, been earning a living for and with these two passions for my entire life.

13 Dos and Don'ts Of Performing At Open Mics

by Robin Yukiko August 3rd 2012

DON’T play and leave.

DO talk to EVERYONE and remember their names. You can even write their name and description and review it at the end of the night. They will be so impressed the next week.

DON’T expect to be discovered. This is a networking opportunity with other musicians. Open mics only lead to gigs if you work your contacts and follow up.

DON'T just say "Good job". Be specific and sincere like "I really liked your hook" or "Your low range sounds great!" so they know you were paying attention.

DO introduce others. Even if you aren't interested in collaborating with someone, maybe you can give someone a good lead.

DON’T heckle. No one wants you to request Free Bird.

DO be gracious. If only one person is listening, play just for that person, and yourself.

DON’T talk loudly over a ballad. Everyone chats, just be respectful about it.

DO play contrasting songs. (One slow, one fast, one in major, one in minor, etc.)

Similarly, DON’T play two songs in the same key back-to-back. Even if an audience doesn't know, their ears will start to get bored.

DON’T apologize before you play a song. People want you to be excited about your song, not hear excuses for why it's going to suck.

DO make friends with the host, bartenders, and all staff. People like to work with their friends, so be a friend to everyone you meet.

DO have fun! If it's not fun, what's the point?

Robin Yukiko is a Berklee College of Music grad, singer-songwriter, pianist, and music educator in San Francisco. She hosts the SF Singer-Songwriters’ Workshop at the Musicians Union Local 6. Learn more at www.robinyukiko.com.